Pro Sports

(The Brahma Bull/246350) I'm not a fan of the Red Sox, Cubs or Yankees, but this made me ...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:42:00 -0600

I'm not a fan of the Red Sox, Cubs or Yankees, but this made me chuckle a bit.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/travelers-check/201202/cubs-fan-wins-gigabyte-
glory
or

http://tinyurl.com/84hx58z

(The Brahma Bull/246349) according to ESPN, the Oakland A's have reportedly signed Manny ...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:40:00 -0600

according to ESPN, the Oakland A's have reportedly signed Manny Ramirez.
Obviously he'll have to sit out the 50 game suspension first before joining the
team.

(MIKEY/246348) Step> the only ones saying that are the talking heads on TV who ...

MIKEY@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:49:00 -0600

Step> the only ones saying that are the talking heads on TV who get paid to
find "controversy"

(Cyanide/246347) If you get 2-3 legit stars who play together on a team with a ha...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:52:00 -0600

If you get 2-3 legit stars who play together on a team with a handful of good
role players. And they all play D. Your gonna win a championships no matter
what level you are at.

(Steppenwolf/246346) Hee. I like that.

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:54:00 -0600

Hee. I like that.

Of course, as a Bulls fan I also have to question this most consistent thing
for the Thunder. ;) IF they get everyone healthy for the playoffs, then they
will have as good a shot as anyone of winning the whole shebang.

(Harbinger/246345) While Durant and Westbrook have some conflict, they were nowhere...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:50:00 -0600

While Durant and Westbrook have some conflict, they were nowhere near as Jekyll
and Hyde like LeBron/Wade.  LeBron becomes a completely different human being
when Wade gets off the court.  If anything, the lack of conflict between LeBron
and Wade (especially LeBron's steadfast desire to genuflect to Wade since this
is "Wade's Team") is what is holding back Miami.  It's almost like a marriage.
Durant and Westbrook have a fiery type of marriage, where they fight openly all
the time, but they play their most inspired ball when their back is against the
wall.  LeBron and Wade have an almost abusive one, where Wade ends up being
"expected" to be the leader and LeBron would rather shrink than take the ball.

(Steppenwolf/246344) You think Durant and Westbrook complement each other? Hasn't eve...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:46:00 -0600

You think Durant and Westbrook complement each other? Hasn't everyone and their
kid sister been complaining about how they're not sure what to do with those
two at crunch time, and that Westbrook tends to be ballhoggish when he has the
best scorer in the game next to him? (Okay, maybe second-best; he's better from
range than LeBron, LeBron's better in the lane, neither has too many post-up
moves.)

That said, I caught the fourth quarter of that game last night, and OT, and it
was plenty of fun to watch. Scary team.

(Harbinger/246343) OKC looks beastly this season. They're so much more consistent ...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:44:00 -0600

OKC looks beastly this season.  They're so much more consistent than every
other team.  And unlike the Heat, they have 2 stars that actually complement
each other and produce.  I would not be surprised to see them hoisting a trophy
this year.

(The Brahma Bull/246342) something happened in the NBA today that has NEVER happened befo...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:05:00 -0600

something happened in the NBA today that has NEVER happened before, and no it
didn't involve Jeremy Lin or the Knicks lol...for the first time ever 1 player
on a team had 50 points, his teammate had 40, and their other teammate had a
triple double...those players...Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka
of the OKC Thunder.

(Cyanide/246341) It would ahve been funnier if had he had made a power move to th...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:39:00 -0600

It would ahve been funnier if had he had made a power move to the bucket and
gave the bobcat player a facejob.

(Egregious/246340) And if it worked he would be the greatest genius ever!

Egregious@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:20:00 -0600

And if it worked he would be the greatest genius ever!

(Harbinger/246339) OMG... The body of the text was even better, where it details C...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:48:00 -0600

OMG...  The body of the text was even better, where it details Corey telling
the Clippers player to shoot it once the ball was "passed"...

(Cyanide/246338) I thought that was a helluva post up.. :) I had to watch it twic...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:28:00 -0600

I thought that was a helluva post up.. :) I had to watch it twice to realize
what happened..

(Archmage/246337) hahaaa

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:15:00 -0600

hahaaa
In his defense, the defender did a graet job of keeping the offensive player on
his hip and giving Maggette a great target to pass to.

(Steppenwolf/246336) On another note, HAHAHAHAHAHA

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:10:00 -0600

On another note, HAHAHAHAHAHA
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/17575/corey-maggette-makes
-the-worst-turnover-ever

http://goo.gl/YMKWX

(Cyanide/246335) IF they can actually get Flynn. :) Manning might be easier to ge...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:59:00 -0600

IF they can actually get Flynn. :) Manning might be easier to get, but I don't
see Manning going a whole season behind a crappy line which is usually what
crappy teams have, and actually take the longest to get right.
Skill players can make blocking assignments -easier- like Tebow. You add
the dimension, where he is going to run the ball or the option, and his
fakes can freeze the defenders for a split second because now they have one
more thing to think about.  You can't do that with Manning.

If you have a solid line, chances are you aren't rock bottom in the league.
Like Pittsburgh bringing in Ben Rothlesberger his first year. He literally
had 7 seconds to throw the ball all season, and still didnt get hit.

Im not trying to take anything away from Ben, but there arent many backup
qb's who given 7 seconds to throw the ball who won't look good.

(Steve Austin/246334) Exactly who would that be a perfect world for?

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:58:00 -0600

Exactly who would that be a perfect world for?

Manning isn't going anywhere to sit on the bench -- and Flynn is already on the
bench in Green Bay, so why would he want to go to Miami to do the same thing?

Real football /= fantasy football.

(The Brahma Bull/246333) Honestly, as a Dolphins fan, that's what i'm hoping they do, sig...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:56:00 -0600

Honestly, as a Dolphins fan, that's what i'm hoping they do, sign Flynn. Given
that their new Head Coach just came from there, i think it would be a good fit,
and it's not like they could do a whole lot worse than what they've been doing.
In a perfect world they could get both Flynn and Manning, but obviously that
would *never* happen, well maybe in my dreams but thats about it lol.

(Ozzy/246332) Yep, Montana in KC is the perfect example of a QB injury deraili...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:44:00 -0600

Yep, Montana in KC is the perfect example of a QB injury derailing a team. Once
he left the AFC champ game early with a concussion, KC's season was done.

(Steve Austin/246331) Well, I can tell you this right now -- NOTHING in the NFL is gua...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:24:00 -0600

Well, I can tell you this right now -- NOTHING in the NFL is guaranteed.  Well,
except for Joe Namath winning Super Bowls, that is.

I have to agree with the guy.  Even if Manning comes back from his injury --
which I'm still skeptical about (nerve regeneration is not something one should
bank on) -- he's still old for a quarterback, will not have played meaningful
football for 18 months when training camp rolls around, and could get
re-injured at any time.

And even if he were healthy, history tells us that these "we'll sign a great
old QB as a quick fix and win a Super Bowl" gambles NEVER work.

John Unitas in San Diego?  Utter failure.  Joe Montana in Kansas City?  Close,
but no cigar.  Warren Moon (or Randall Cunningham) in Minnesota?  Again, close,
but nope.  Brett Favre in Minnesota or New York?  Even closer, but still no. 
None of these guys even PLAYED in a Super Bowl, much less won one.

The only examples one could call even remotely close are Jim Plunkett and Doug
Williams...but those are two players who had mediocre-to-awful careers before
their final stops and those Super Bowl teams had recently won titles and were
perennial playoff teams even before the QBs got there.

Sure, Miami could sign Manning for a quick fix...but how long is he going to
play?  Two, three years max?  Then what happens?  You're right back to where
you started.  And if he wins games, then you're also out of position to get a
top young QB, whereas you're in position to get one now.  So, if he fails to
win a Super Bowl...what the hell good has his signing done?  If anything, it
sets the franchise back.

(It should be noted, I made this exact same argument with Favre a couple of
years ago.)

Miami has two viable options if it's smart -- sign Matt Flynn or trade up with
St. Louis and draft Robert Griffin.  Personally, I'd sign Flynn...he's been
successful, albeit in limited action, and Miami's new coach just came from
Green Bay -- where he coached Flynn.

Doing this allows Flynn continuity, which is important for QBs, and it also
allows Miami to avoid giving away picks to move up in the draft.  Instead, they
keep those picks and improve their team in other needed areas.

I'll put it this way -- I'd put money on Miami winning a Super Bowl with Flynn
or Griffin before I would if they signed Manning.

(The Brahma Bull/246330) so i'm watching Mike and Mike on ESPN, and they're talking about...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:50:00 -0600

so i'm watching Mike and Mike on ESPN, and they're talking about a guy who
wrote in saying that if his team signed a certain player that he would not
renew his season tickets....The 3 players that they had been talking about
were. Randy Moss, T.O. and Peyton Manning....Most people would probably think
the guy was talking about T.O. and maybe some people might even think Randy
Moss, but the guy was actually talking about Peyton Manning, and his team was,
the Miami Dolphins. His point was that he felt that the Dolphins needed to go
younger and also (Archie) Manning free. I can kind of see his point, but being
the Dolphins fan that i am, it's not like they havent tried going younger and
have it not work. *If* they could get a guaranteed QB of the future, then yeah
i would say go young and *if* this was anyone other than Peyton Manning i'd
probably say they're better off going young, but given their track record
lately when it comes to QB's and given the fact that it *is* Peyton Manning,
i'd say, if they have the oppurtunity to get Manning, what's it really going to
hurt, it's not like they have been any good recently and the 1 year they
actually did have a good season was the year they picked up an old washed up
has been named Chad Pennington.

(Gespalder/246329) SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 2/16/2012

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:56:00 -0600

SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 2/16/2012

Seattle mayor releases arena proposal, says pathway exists to get NBA team

Seattle officials released the outline Thursday of a proposal to build a new
NBA arena in the city. The arena would be funded with $300 million from San
Francisco hedge fund manager Chris Hansen and others. Media reports from
Seattle have indicated that officials there are monitoring Sacramento's arena
effort.

(Steve Austin/246328) Not to interrupt the Lin stuff, because it's just oh-so-fascinat...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:05:00 -0600

Not to interrupt the Lin stuff, because it's just oh-so-fascinating, but...

MLB Hall of Famer Gary Carter died today at the age of 57 after suffering from
brain cancer.
c
Carter, who at least one baseball analyst has described as Pete Rose without
the baggage (in honor of his incredible competitive spirit), was one of the
greatest catchers of all time.

He was born 20 years to the day before Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run
record and made his MLB debut in September of 1974.  He played 18 full MLB
seasons with the Expos, Mets, Giants and Dodgers.  He played in 130 or more
games 11 times in 12 seasons from 1977 to 1988 -- an incredible streak for an
NL catcher that was broken only because of the 1981 players strike that
canceled a third of the season.

He even played in 95 games as a 38-year-old in 1992 in his final season, a
farewell tour with the Expos.

His numbers were never spectacular, but for his era, he was (along with Carlton
Fisk) one of the two or three most productive catchers in the game.  He hit 324
home runs, had over 2,000 hits, and drove in over 1,200 runs.

He was an 11-time All-Star and ASG MVP twice.  He finished in the top-3 of NL
MVP voting twice (2nd, 1980; 3rd, 1986).  He won three Gold Gloves and five
Silver Slugger awards.

Perhaps his best moment, though, came in the 1986 World Series.  With two outs
in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6, he came to the plate at a hushed
Shea Stadium, as the Red Sox were one out away from their first World Series
title since 1918.  Boston led by 2 runs.

He stroked a single to left center, and the Mets didn't make another out,
eventually winning the game on the "Bill Buckner" play.

A couple of nights later, he was jumping into Jesse Orosco's arms as the Mets
won that series.

RIP, Mr. Carter.  He played for teams I generally didn't like, but he played
the game in such a way that you had to respect.  It was guys like him who
kindled my love for baseball as a youth.

(Rick Jenkins/246327) Lin Spirituality> The local (San Francisco) sports talk station ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:31:00 -0600


Lin Spirituality> The local (San Francisco) sports talk station had an
interview with a columnist who wrote a piece on Lin's spirituality recently.
What I got from the interview was that Lin is not Tebowesque in his religious
fervor, but he's still pretty damn serious about it.

I can't cut and paste on this client, but the writer of the article is named
Marcus Thompson II if someone wanted to Google it and read it.

(DesCartes/246326) I'm pretty sure that he is from mainland China. His family brief...

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:21:00 -0600

I'm pretty sure that he is from mainland China. His family briefly lived in
Taiwan before coming to the US, but his closest family not in the US is in
mainland China. (Well, Lin is from the US. But his ancestry is Chinese, not
Taiwanese.)

Not that it really matters.

(Archmage/246325) As far as Lin and Tebow being unconvetional, I already alluded t...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:42:00 -0600

As far as Lin and Tebow being unconvetional, I already alluded to the fact that
Tebow is unconventional on teh field of play, whereas Lin is not.

In terms of being unconventional in non-sports manners, I view Tebows outward
religious actions like I view Lin's heritage. They are both things that are
aside of the main focus about these players, and not things that would really
be discussed, if the player were not being discussed because of the bigger more
interesting items.

As far as Lebron to Miami being the "bigger" story, I was using "bigger" and
"more interesting" to mean the same thing, in this context.
The Lebron to Miami thing was "bigger" _because_ it was interesting to more
people, which also means it is "more interesting", the way I was using
the terms.  I suppose you could make the "depth versus breadth" argument here.
Jeremy Lin is a more interesting deep-dive, in terms of the facts and
circumstances surrounding his story, arguably.

(Archmage/246324) More specifically, he is of Taiwanese descent. He was born and r...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:21:00 -0600

More specifically, he is of Taiwanese descent. He was born and rasied in the
U.S.

(Swinia/246323) I'd pick DeLonte West banging LeBron's mom as a bigger story.

Swinia@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:10:00 -0600


I'd pick DeLonte West banging LeBron's mom as a bigger story.

As for Lin, it's Taiwanese, not Chinese.

(The Brahma Bull/246322) LeBron to Miami might have been a bigger story, for sure, but mo...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:51:00 -0600

LeBron to Miami might have been a bigger story, for sure, but more interesting,
maybe not...

(Archmage/246321) I hear Dos Equis wants to sign Jeremy Lin to an endorsement deal...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:47:00 -0600

I hear Dos Equis wants to sign Jeremy Lin to an endorsement deal. :-)



Serioulsy though, I think this  might be the most interesting story in the
NBA since Jordan left.

Maybe you can say the Boston "Big Three" and Lebron to Miami were bigger
stories.

Yeah.. I'd say Lebron to Miami was a bigger story.

(Ozzy/246320) Tebow was also polarizing because if you just looked at his stat...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:21:00 -0600

Tebow was also polarizing because if you just looked at his stats, you wouldn't
come to the conclusion that he was solely responsible for the Broncos
second-half-of-the-season improvement. But a lot of the Tebow lovers would have
you believe that he's the only reason they starting winning.

All that said, I firmly believe that Tebow won't be the Bronco starting QB come
this time next year. Or the starting QB for any other NFL team, for that
matter.

(Guardian Angel/246319) Right.

Guardian Angel@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:36:00 -0600

Right.
There's a BIG difference between offering a prayer after every score, and doing
the 'usual' thanking of God during the post-game.

As much as I want to, I'm going to refrain from responding to Stepp. While I
agree that there does appear to be more 'public' demonstrations of faith than
in recent memory, much of the "problem" around it stems from those who feel
that they have the right to be free from observing ANY public displays of
religious worship. Which is patently false. Anything else said on the matter
probably needs to go to Serious> as we're getting far afield.

(The Brahma Bull/246318) yeah, him and thousands of other sports figures throughout histo...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:34:00 -0600

yeah, him and thousands of other sports figures throughout history, thats
nothing really special or significant, lots of players do that.

(Harbinger/246317) In all fairness to Tebow, Lin also wears his religion on his sle...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:32:00 -0600

In all fairness to Tebow, Lin also wears his religion on his sleeve.  While he
won't go down one one knee when he scores, he does thank God first and foremost
when he does his post game interview.

(Steppenwolf/246316) Tebow is seen as polarizing because he wears religion on his sle...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:29:00 -0600

Tebow is seen as polarizing because he wears religion on his sleeve. With the
hardcore Christianists on the rise, any "open" religious expression is usually
praised to the skies, and honest dissent about his skills is seen as
polarizing.


Seriously, both "sides" of the religion debate are at fault for much of the
debate surrounding Tebow, but there's a lot to be said for what we might call
the divide between the reductionists and the holists in understanding sports;
the people that feel that a QB has a measurable impact on a game and that
Tebow's measurables were pretty poor, and the people who think that a person
can have some sort of amazing immeasurable aspect (or that the measurers are
watching the wrong things), and that modern statistics somehow miss those.

So, with the ready-made divides, suddenly you get the holist/reductionist
divide amplified tenfold by the secularists looking for the religious guy to
take a fall and the religious people who refuse to believe anything bad about a
fellow evangelical.

(The Brahma Bull/246315) also to add on that, Tebow is polarzing, because by definition p...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:25:00 -0600

also to add on that, Tebow is polarzing, because by definition polarizing is to
divide into sharply opposing factions....which Tebow obviously does..there are
those that absolutely love him and those that absolutely hate him...Archmage is
correct on that point, Lin isn't really polarizing because i don't think too
many people hate him right now, heck even the opposing teams fans root for him,
i.e Toronto Raptors when he made the winning basket to beat them. The closest
thing people would come to hating Lin right now is, getting tired of hearing
everyone talk about him.

(Guardian Angel/246314) Tebow is seen as polarizing becase he wears religion on his slee...

Guardian Angel@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:23:00 -0600

Tebow is seen as polarizing becase he wears religion on his sleeve. With the
hardcore secularists on the rise, ANY 'open' religious expression is usually
attacked or seen as polarizing.

(The Brahma Bull/246313) well by that logic then we should have been talking heavily abou...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:18:00 -0600

well by that logic then we should have been talking heavily about him already,
because i don't think it's very conventional to have been cut by 2 teams and be
on the verge of getting cut by a 3rd team only to come out of nowhere and lead
a team on a 7 game win streak, and yeah sure, he scores alot of points and has
alot of assists, but he also has an UGLY side too...his turnovers. 37 turnovers
in 7 games  but you know what he does...he wins games...just like Tebow...It's
not always pretty, but he gets the job done...

(Harbinger/246312) But Jeremy Lin is unconventional. He's a non-selfish player who...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:19:00 -0600

But Jeremy Lin is unconventional.  He's a non-selfish player who passes and is
not a human highlight reel like 90% of the NBA...

(MIKEY/246311) Why is Tebow polarizing? Is he using drugs, dating Lindsey Loha...

MIKEY@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:17:00 -0600

Why is Tebow polarizing?  Is he using drugs, dating Lindsey Lohan, staring in
homemade sex videos?

(Archmage/246310) The reason we had not been talking about Jeremy Lin in here, li...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:14:00 -0600

The reason we had not been talking about Jeremy Lin in here,  like we did
Tim Tebow, is because he's not polarizing.

Everyone loves Jeremy Lin for all of the right reasons.

If Jeremy Lin were unconventional AND he looked UGLY playing basketball for
75% of the games before pulling out wins, we'd be talking heavily about him.

(Harbinger/246309) At the very least, the Knicks went from the bottom half to the s...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0600

At the very least, the Knicks went from the bottom half to the solid middle
(beating the teams that they should beat).  The Knicks don't really get a true
test of Lin until Sunday (against Dallas).  On the plus side, Lin has brought
interest to the shortened NBA season and has set the sports press on fire. 
Also, there's a new cottage industry of Lin nicknames that has blazed the
Twitterverse.

I do hope that Lin succeeds, and brings more outside the norm players into the
NBA universe (i.e. the Eastern European invasion).  It's also refreshing to see
more non-AAU mindset players getting coverage.

(The Brahma Bull/246308) well at least his string of 20+ point games came to an end tonig...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:34:00 -0600

well at least his string of 20+ point games came to an end tonight, but he did
have a double/double and a career high 13 assists and the Knicks did win
again.....

(Rick Jenkins/246307) TBB> I pretty much agree; I like the kid and hope he does well, ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:27:00 -0600


TBB> I pretty much agree; I like the kid and hope he does well, but I'm already
really tired of hearing about him. It's really a perfect storm story; underdog
does well, playing in big market, football is over and baseball and March
Madness haven't started so there's nothing else to talk about.

(The Brahma Bull/246306) yeah that was the other record he set....most turnovers by a per...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:17:00 -0600

yeah that was the other record he set....most turnovers by a person in their
first 5 starts of a career, but the bottom line is, in those starts, the Knicks
have lost 0 games, and that's the most important stat of all, even if most of
those games were against crappy teams.

(DesCartes/246305) The teams that the Knicks have beat on their current streak:

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:52:00 -0600

The teams that the Knicks have beat on their current streak:
New Jersey (currently 8-21)
Utah (14-14)
Washington (7-22)
LA Lakers (17-12)
Minnesota (13-16)
Toronto (9-21)
The first two games, and the Lakers game was at home. The rest were on the
road.

They're currently leading Sacramento (10-18) at the half by 18 points, at the
Madison Square Garden.

Lin came off the bench in the first game and was on fire, with D'antonio saying
he was riding Lin like a racehorse in the 2nd half. Lin has started the rest of
the games, and made the game-winning shot against Toronto. He still plays like
a rookie, with a lot of turnovers, but he's got pretty good court vision, and
in D'Antonio's system, there's a lot of open space for him to move in or find
the open man. In the six games, he has lead all scorers (on both teams) 4 times
and lead all players in assists 4 times.

(The Brahma Bull/246304) sorry RJ, i didnt mean to or expect to lol. It's like the NBA's ...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:43:00 -0600

sorry RJ, i didnt mean to or expect to lol. It's like the NBA's version of
Tebow-Mania...part of me just wants the Knicks to lose so they'll stop, but
part of me can't wait to see what happens next.

(DesCartes/246303) He's also the first American-born player of Chinese descent, whi...

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:39:00 -0600

He's also the first American-born player of Chinese descent, which is getting a
lot of notice. He's become really popular among the Asian community and in
China, and has brought a lot of those fans to watching the NBA (well, the
Knicks). The Knicks are on a 6 game winning streak spurred by his play early in
the streak (although now Amare is back, playing for the Knicks). Granted, a lot
of the games were against weak teams (Toronto, Minnesota, the Lakers,
Washington, Utah and New Jersey), but the Knicks were also struggling. If they
win tonight (against Sacramento), they'll bring their record back up to 15-15.

(Rick Jenkins/246302) Lochner> Jeremy Lin was an undrafted rookie free agent a couple ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:38:00 -0600


Lochner> Jeremy Lin was an undrafted rookie free agent a couple years ago. He
went to Harvard. He played a few games in mop up duty for the Warriors last
year, has bounced around the D-League, and was cut by GS and HOU this pre-
season. The Knicks signed him, he was rotting on the bench, He started playing
about two weeks ago, and every game has been huge Jeremy Lin statlines, Knicks
victories, and improvede team chemistry.

He's Taiwanese-American (I think) and up until a few days ago wasn't sur what
his future was for the rest of this season so he was couch surfing in NYC since
he couldn't commit to a lease, etc etc.

And now TBB has started a Lin thread in Pro Sports>.

(The Brahma Bull/246301) He's a point guard for the New York Knicks, he's in his 2nd year...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:33:00 -0600

He's a point guard for the New York Knicks, he's in his 2nd year in the NBA,
but really didnt play much last year and had already been cut twice this year
IIRC, and was pretty much headed to being cut a 3rd time, but ended up coming
off the bench for the Knicks due to injuries on February 4th against the Nets,
ended up scoring 25 points and leading the Knicks to a win. He's since started
5 games after that, scoring 20 or more in each of those games, all Knicks wins
and also setting a record for most points scored in the first 5 starts of a
career since the NBA/ABA merger.

(DesCartes/246300) He's 25% of all Harvard NBA players.

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:34:00 -0600

He's 25% of all Harvard NBA players.

(Lochner/246299) I have no clue who Jeremy Lin is or why he matters.

Lochner@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:28:00 -0600

I have no clue who Jeremy Lin is or why he matters.

(DesCartes/246298) I dreamed about Jeremy Lin last night. He used the word tarball.

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:13:00 -0600

I dreamed about Jeremy Lin last night. He used the word tarball.

(Ozzy/246297) Basketball discussion in generally seems to take a backseat in h...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:35:00 -0600

Basketball discussion in generally seems to take a backseat in here. To my
mind, it seems like we get NFL talk during football season, MLB talk during
baseball season, and not much during the lag period between the two.

(The Brahma Bull/246296) since when has that ever stopped anyone from posting anything in...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:11:00 -0600

since when has that ever stopped anyone from posting anything in here. That's
all ESPN does is take stories and talk non-stop about them until the next big
story comes along. I mean i agree, there really isn't any need to talk about it
since its already been talked to death and then some, just a little surprised
that not even 1 mention of it. Then again there hasn't really been mention of
anything in this forum lately.

(Rick Jenkins/246295) Since we're hearing about it 24/7 through all the sports media o...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:08:00 -0600


Since we're hearing about it 24/7 through all the sports media outlets we're
not feeling the need to post about it.

(The Brahma Bull/246294) i'm not much of an NBA fan, and definitely not a Knicks fan, but...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:06:00 -0600

i'm not much of an NBA fan, and definitely not a Knicks fan, but i can't
believe that there hasn't been 1 single post about what's happened with the
Knicks and Jeremy Lin recently.

(Swinia/246293) Freddie Solomon (Niners, Dolphins) has died.

Swinia@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:18:00 -0600


Freddie Solomon (Niners, Dolphins) has died.

(King Action/246292) To be fair, Moss is a little younger than Owens and doesn't have...

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:05:00 -0600


To be fair, Moss is a little younger than Owens and doesn't have the knee
concerns. If he's willing to work cheap and be the third option, I can someone
taking a stab at him.

(Archmage/246291) Every team will run from Randy Moss like the plague, just as the...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:10:00 -0600

Every team will run from Randy Moss like the plague, just as they did Terrel
Owens.

(Cyanide/246290) The NFL Beer league, like touch football, in half the field size...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:57:00 -0600

The NFL Beer league, like touch football, in half the field size, must
be retired 2 years, and autograph signing before the game. :)

(Harbinger/246289) If Randy Moss can get seperation from a D-back, he'll have a bet...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:52:00 -0600

If Randy Moss can get seperation from a D-back, he'll have a better chance of
getting signed than Chad Johnson.  Mr. Ex-Ochocinco is pretty much done.  A
dream scenario would be if Peyton joins Terrell Owens in that other league
along with Chad and Randy.  The EX-PLAYERS!  UNITE!

(Archmage/246288) No team is going to sign Randy Moss.

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:40:00 -0600

No team is going to sign Randy Moss.

Ocho Cinco has a sliver of a chance. Teams will at least work him out.

(LizPhairFan/246287) Nah. The Colts need to keep Peyton, sign Moss since Reggie Wayne...

LizPhairFan@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:31:00 -0600

Nah. The Colts need to keep Peyton, sign Moss since Reggie Wayne will almost
definitely leave...get Ochocinco, and voila! super Bowl!
maybe not...
?????
PROFIT!

(Harbinger/246286) All we need are the Washington Redskins to sign Moss, Peyton, an...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:09:00 -0600

All we need are the Washington Redskins to sign Moss, Peyton, and the reciever
formerly known as Chad Ochocinco and they'll be the set (to continue the free
agent tradition of failure).

(The Brahma Bull/246285) so according to ESPN, Randy Moss has un-retired and is consideri...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:04:00 -0600

so according to ESPN, Randy Moss has un-retired and is considering a return to
the NFL....

(KAM/246284) Just how much money DOES the Vikings have to keep dumping into e...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:50:00 -0600


Just how much money DOES the Vikings have to keep dumping into elite-level
quarterbacks who won't be around long enough to keep passing to less-than-elite
players?

s

(Swinia/246283) I'm still looking for a Vikings signing of Peyton Manning.

Swinia@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:58:00 -0600


I'm still looking for a Vikings signing of Peyton Manning.
The Colts already started their negotiation process by saying their doctors
hadn't had the same conclusion about the neck that Peyton's doctors did.

(The Brahma Bull/246282) Honestly though, would it really have mattered who won the Super...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:46:00 -0600

Honestly though, would it really have mattered who won the Super Bowl in terms
of Peyton's readiness to play. Either way he would be motivated to play again
and win another Super Bowl. On 1 hand you had his brother Eli who of course
he's competitive with because they're brothers, and on the other hand you had
Tom Brady, Peyton's main rival. Not to mention the fact that the game was
played on Peyton's home(at least for the time being) turf. I don't think he
really needs anymore motivation than he already has. If he can play, rest
assured he will. amd i'm not so sure that he won't even if he "can't"

(Archmage/246281) Of cours,e they really only announced that his neck repair is re...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:31:00 -0600

Of cours,e they really only announced that his neck repair is ready.
He still needs to get those pesky nerves in his triceps to work like
an NFL calbiur quaterback.

(King Action/246280) well, his doctors announced it before the superbowl

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:28:00 -0600


well, his doctors announced it before the superbowl

(Cyanide/246279) Now that Eli has another ring, how long before peyton announces ...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:27:00 -0600

Now that Eli has another ring, how long before peyton announces he is healthy
and ready to go? :P

(Cyanide/246278) If he can play, he will have a job, whether it is with the colts...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:44:00 -0600

If he can play, he will have a job, whether it is with the colts or not is
another story.. Whether he wants a job I think depends on whether or not Eli
gets a ring... :P There is a serious sibling rivalry there.

(Archmage/246277) I haven't found anything that specifically says that if the Colt...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:25:00 -0600

I haven't found anything that specifically says that if the Colts release
Manning, that he'll not retire, but all indications are that Manning will
not retire on any terms, if he is healthy.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7524484/peyton-manning-indianapolis-colts-
expects-play-again-no-timing-decision

I bring this up because there was discussion about him retiring
if he won't be a Colt in order to maintain his legacy as a career
long Colt.  I guess we'll know more after he is released.

(Rick Jenkins/246276) Anyone know a book or internet resource where I could get info a...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:44:00 -0600


Anyone know a book or internet resource where I could get info about NFL
playcalling terminology? For example, I read Pat Kirwan's "Take Your Eye of the
Ball" which has some of that, but I'm looking for more, specifically having to
do with playcalling and why the plays are called what they're called and what
the QB's signals that he calls at the LOS might mean, etc.

(The Brahma Bull/246275) just read that Brad Childress has been hired as the new offensiv...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:12:00 -0600

just read that Brad Childress has been hired as the new offensive coordintor of
the Cleveland Browns. Don't know if that will help them any, they are after
all, still the Cleveland Browns lol.

(Archmage/246274) It's a score if the ball touches the ground but remians in full ...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:59:00 -0600

It's a score if the ball touches the ground but remians in full control of the
receiver.

Typically, they will gauge this by looking at the position of ball, relative to
the body of the receiver. If at appears that the ball has moved because of the
contact with the ground, relative to the recevier, then they will rule that the
receiver was not in control of the ball.

Obviously, if it appears that the ground aided the receviers ability to catch
the ball, that's not a reception either.

(Rick Jenkins/246273) NFL TD Rules> I thought the "breaking the plane" rule vs the "co...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:17:00 -0600


NFL TD Rules> I thought the "breaking the plane" rule vs the "completing the
process" rule was an interesting angle I hadn't considered before.

From the perspective of you can have a guy not even physically be in the
endzone but the ball touches a pylon or goes an inch over the goalline and it's
a TD. But you can catch the ball cleanly, fall down, and roll over on top of
the ball and the ball is touching the ground and that's not a score.

(Harbinger/246272) I don't think it's a particularly bad hire, but it's not that in...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:09:00 -0600

I don't think it's a particularly bad hire, but it's not that inspired.  OTOH,
it's a nice change to the coaching pool; at least it brings new blood to the
pro ranks.  And I'm not sure that it will screw Rutgers; they hit a plateau a
few years back, and haven't been able to lift past it.

(Ozzy/246271) Heh. His wikipedia page already states that it's the case, and a...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:07:00 -0600

Heh. His wikipedia page already states that it's the case, and apparently
somebody is bitter about it. Though it's been since removed, when I first
looked at his wikipedia page at the end of the Rutgers section somebody had
added: "Totally screwed Rutgers".
:)

(The Brahma Bull/246270) ESPN is reporting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are close to hir...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:15:00 -0600

ESPN is reporting that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are close to hiring Rutgers
coach Greg Schiano as their new head coach.

(Steve Austin/246269) RJ> To your first point, absolutely that needs to be changed --...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:38:00 -0600

RJ>  To your first point, absolutely that needs to be changed -- all plays in
the end zones, not just ones ruled as TDs on the field, should be automatically
reviewed.

On the 2nd, I don't think there needs to be change so much as clarification is
needed (clarity).

(Rick Jenkins/246268) Heard an interesting point from a talking head on the radio toda...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:50:00 -0600


Heard an interesting point from a talking head on the radio today:

Should the NFL consider a major review/overhaul of "is it a TD or not?" plays?
For example:

--all plays into the end zone reviewed instead of just plays that are ruled
scores on the field? Citing the Titus Young catch in the final week of the
regular season that was ruled incomplete in the end zone but replays showed
both feet were in. (Titus Young of DET vs the Packers)

--The point of the ball breaking the plane of the goal or making contact with a
pylon is a TD, but plays like the "Calvin Johnson rule" catch from last year
are not TDs. Or the Marques Colston one from late in the first half of the
Saints/Lions playoff game

(admittedly, I'm a Lions fan but these were examples cited on a non-Detroit
sports station)

I don't know if I'd go as far as to make those blanket rule changes, but I do
agree that thr system seems sort of skewed towards certain types of TDs or
scoring chances the way it's set up currently.

(Rick Jenkins/246267) I had heard the Tigers were really interested in Matt Garza, but...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:11:00 -0600


I had heard the Tigers were really interested in Matt Garza, but my guess is
that they are done on the FA market after yesterday's signing.

They may just go to spring training with their top 4 starters and then have
Jacob Turner and Brad Penny and whoever else compete for the 5 spot.

(Archmage/246266) As A Tigers fan, my first reaction was "cool" but my bigger conc...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:13:00 -0600

As A Tigers fan, my first reaction was "cool" but my bigger concern is
can they get one more pticher to become a playoff winning team?

If they were going to pay all this money, I wonder why they didn't sign Curtis
Granderson.

(Steve Austin/246265) RJ> Oh, I agree. Hell, I wish the Braves had that problem. In...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:25:00 -0600

RJ>  Oh, I agree.  Hell, I wish the Braves had that problem.  In fact, I kinda
wish they'd trade one of their starters back (Jurrjens, maybe?  haha) and get
their mitts on one of those guys.

TBB>  Yeah, the tea leaves have been saying that ever since the Polians got
axed.  I just think that Irsay is thinking, "How am I going to fork over $28
million to a guy who isn't even certain to be healthy, much less play well?"

And I mean, you really can't fault him for that.  The Packers are a perfect
example of how a team needs to move on...and if that means cutting ties with a
QB who isn't ready to hang it up...then you do that.  The Packers won a Super
Bowl because they had the guts to tell Brett Favre to get lost.

And honestly...look, Johnny Unitas didn't even finish his career with the
Colts.  The Colts might not even exist today if it hadn't been for "Johnny U".
So, IMO, if HE is expendable...well, so is Peyton Manning.

I'd also hold up Dan Marino as an example here.  After Don Shula quit and Miami
hired Jimmy Johnson...hindsight says Miami should have cut ties then.  Marino
was declining and clearly didn't mesh with Johnson.  But Miami pressed on...and
by 1999, he couldn't play anymore (for very similar reasons to why Manning
can't play).  Miami didn't have a backup plan in place...and they're still
paying for it, 12 years later.

(The Brahma Bull/246264) Not that i didn't already think it, but after reading this artic...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:51:00 -0600

Not that i didn't already think it, but after reading this article, i will be
highly surprised if Peyton Manning remains in Indy.

http://tinyurl.com/896mtfr

(Rick Jenkins/246263) Well, it's a good problem to have. And one that doesn't need to ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 -0600


Well, it's a good problem to have. And one that doesn't need to be solved right
now. :)

Unfortunately, what I've heard is that V-Mart can no longer catch. Maybe in an
emergency, but not in any kind of regular backup role.

Could be that they move Cabrera in a year, or have him play 3B. Maybe they
talked to Cabrera before the deal was made and he's onboard with a possible
position change, maybe he has no idea and he'll be a malcontent about it. I
wish I knew the answers, but it's good as a fan to have those two guys in the
lineup for at least a year and presumably longer.

(Steve Austin/246262) RJ> The off-field stuff is what I was thinking of. Still, it's...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:48:00 -0600

RJ>  The off-field stuff is what I was thinking of.  Still, it's likely athat
one of the three will have to be moved...you simply can't fit three players
into two spots given the amount of money each receives.  And none of them are
really able to play anywhere but first base or DH.  I -suppose- Martinez could
catch part-time, but even that doesn't really solve the problem.

Now, you -could- move V-Mart if his deal is shorter...but there's one HUGE
problem there.  He's hurt.  Until he can come back and show that he's healthy,
it would be virtually impossible to move him for fair market value.

If THAT is their intent, then the best the Tigers can hope for is that Martinez
can play in September and then trade him in the off-season.

However, IMO, you'd get the least amount of return for him, even if he can come
back and play in September.  So...

(Rick Jenkins/246261) I don't think Prince had wanted to come to Detroit, partly becau...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:36:00 -0600


I don't think Prince had wanted to come to Detroit, partly because of the
connection to his father from whom Prince is estranged, I believe.

But $214 million may have convinced him Detroit wasn't so bad.

I have heard nothing about an intent to move Cabrera; he's one of the best
hitters in the game and he's still in his prime. Having Cabrera and Fielder
locked up for a long time and V-Mart with only two years left on his deal
heading into 2013 makes it more logical to ship V-Mart to a contender if they
trade someone.

Although, maybe Cabrera's alcohol problems are a concern to Tigers management
and they think at best they have two superstars hitting in the middle of their
lineup, at worse they have Fielder if Cabrera can't get his life in order
(although I've heard nothing but positives about Cabreras' rehabilitation since
the traffic stop incident last winter).

(Steve Austin/246260) Yes, Prince is Cecil Fielder's son. I'd love it if the Tigers g...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:15:00 -0600

Yes, Prince is Cecil Fielder's son.  I'd love it if the Tigers gave him #45 to
wear, just like his dad.

You know...I'm wondering if the Tigers aren't doing this with the intention of
moving Cabrera.  As RJ noted, this will produce some interesting lineup
quandries when V-Mart comes back in 2013.  And by moving, I mean trading.

I'm not so sure that Cabrera is capable of playing 3rd anymore, as he's gotten
bigger in recent years.  I don't think it will be an issue this year, but I
wouldn't discount the possibility of a trade.  Cabrera could bring back a LOT
for Detroit.

(Egregious/246259) Any relation to Cecil?

Egregious@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:14:00 -0600


Any relation to Cecil?

(Rick Jenkins/246258) Multiple sources are reporting that the Detroit Tigers have sign...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:03:00 -0600


Multiple sources are reporting that the Detroit Tigers have signed Prince
Fielder to a 9yr/$214 million dollar contract.

With Victor Martinez out for the season with an injury, Dave Dombrowski
evidently decided to make a move that should, um, help a bit.

As a Tigers fan, I'm a little hesitant because it is $23 million a year for a
guy with weight issues and perhaps some attitude issues, depending on who you
listen to. OTOH, it's Prince F'n Fielder and he's in his prime and he and
Miguel Cabrera are a, to say the least, formidable 3-4 hitting combination in
that lineup.

Will be interesting to see if the Tigers have Cabrera play some 3B, as that's
what he used to play before he got moved to 1B since his defense was so poor.
And I already read a rumor that Fielder was trold he was going to play 1B in
Detroit. Cabrera could DH of course but I think if he can play third base
competently it would help the Tigers out a lot, especially assuming Victor
martinez comes back as the full time DH in 2013.

(King Action/246257) From DJ Gallo of ESPN.com:

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:59:00 -0600

From DJ Gallo of ESPN.com:

News Conference Questions Someone Should Have Asked

Tom Coughlin: "How does it feel to be the most accomplished coach in the NFL
among coaches who seem to always be on the verge of getting fired?"

***

I found that ish to be *hilarious*.

Maybe the Eagles need to put Andy Reid on the hot seat.

(Rick Jenkins/246256) Newton is an exciting player who had a good year (great year for...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:42:00 -0600


Newton is an exciting player who had a good year (great year for a rookie).

And he's going to the Pro Bowl becuase he's a big name and Stafford got kind of
screwed.

(Archmage/246255) I actually won't argue heavily for Stafford over Newton, but if...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:17:00 -0600

I actually won't argue heavily  for Stafford over Newton, but if you asked me
to, I'd say that Stafford was stellar in his first Injury-free year, and Cam
Newton was a rookie, let him pay his dues. Also, Stafford's team went to the
playoffs two years removed from a squad that went 0-16, and Newtons team
was 5 or so games.

That said, Newton is a far better TV draw and I could make an argument for
him in the pro bowl anyway. His team may have only won 5 games, but
everything on that offense went through him. It was like they just
pounded the ball running, and then occasionally passed when they had to.
They passed a lot and Newton showed incredible patience for a rookie
and the offene also ran a lot of plays for Newton (much like Denver did
for Tebow.)

He was actually a more exciting play to watch than Tebow was this year
and just as exciting as Vick has ever been. Tebow got more attention
because Denver won more games with Tebow than Carolina did, but if you
look at execution at the QB position, Newton was far better.

(Steppenwolf/246254) Geez, I don't know which one I'd pick of the two.

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:12:00 -0600

Geez, I don't know which one I'd pick of the two.

(KAM/246253) What's wrong with Cam Newton?

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:11:00 -0600


What's wrong with Cam Newton?

(Archmage/246252) Eli Manning is not playing the Pro Bowl, so you'd think they'd e...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:03:00 -0600

Eli Manning is not playing the Pro Bowl, so you'd think they'd elevate Matthew
Stafford.  Nope, it went to Cam Newton.

(Steve Austin/246251) Falco> The Rams don't get to choose which home game they give u...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:55:00 -0600

Falco>  The Rams don't get to choose which home game they give up.

That decision is up to the league.

(M Bison/246250) Keep in mind that Stan Kronke is also part-owner of the Arsenal ...

M Bison@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:26:00 -0600

Keep in mind that Stan Kronke is also part-owner of the Arsenal Premier League
team, so the Rams also make sense for a move to London from that respect.
Kronke knows the UK.

(Falco/246249) "They" would be Rams ownership, who I assumed were choosing whic...

Falco@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:59:00 -0600

"They" would be Rams ownership, who I assumed were choosing which game to play
in London.
The London game will sell out no matter what, so why give up what would be a
huge home gate in New England when you could send a dog game against a
lower-tier NFL team over there?

But if this is a way to sell London on a full-time NFL team, I could see why
the league would push to send its top teams over there. Marigolds' theory makes
sense in that scenario.

(Rick Jenkins/246248) Personally, I'd like to see the Jaguars relocate to London. If f...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:24:00 -0600


Personally, I'd like to see the Jaguars relocate to London. If for no other
reason then they could keep their nickname since the Jaguar is a British car.

(Ozzy/246247) Yeah I'm sure it would be in blocks. But that also would put the...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:44:00 -0600

Yeah I'm sure it would be in blocks. But that also would put the london based
team at a severe disadvantage. Living in hotels for 3 weeks instead of
overnight/2 nights, not having a "home practice base" for video reviews and
scrimaging, etc. I think (hope) that the London games will build up a fan base
to get additional TV revenue streams overseas and then to jump start a league
there. I just personally don't like the idea. They'd never be able to get a US
"prime time" game at home, and if their team did get a US Prime Time road game
it would take place in the middle of the night London time.

Again, I think it could happen and if the NFL wanted it they'd find a way to
work around it. But I personally don't like the idea.

(Steve Austin/246246) Well, that's part of the point of the current run of annual game...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:36:00 -0600

Well, that's part of the point of the current run of annual games in London --
it's done (in part) to test the logistics/travel issues.

My guess is that the NFL would try to mitigate some of those issues by
scheduling London games in blocks -- they'd perhaps play three in a row at
home, then come over to the U.S. to play three in a row.  And I'd further
speculate that a London-based team wouldn't fly back and forth between road
games -- if they played three in a row here, they'd stay here.

I'm not saying it would be perfect...or even great.  But I don't think it would
be as bad as some might think.

(Ozzy/246245) I have my doubts about the feasability of an England based NFL t...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:27:00 -0600

I have my doubts about the feasability of an England based NFL team. The travel
logistics aren't fun to look at. You basically lose a day to travel each way,
not to mention recovering from jet lag. I'm not saying that it *won't* happen,
because if there's money to made it could be attempted. But I don't think it's
a particularly good idea.

(Marigolds/246244) The concerns about moving the Rams to LA is because the stadium ...

Marigolds@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:04:00 -0600

The concerns about moving the Rams to LA is because the stadium lease expires
in 2014. This allows the Rams to be moved without a single payment back to the
CVC or any other organization. It's the easiest and cheapest move opportunity
in the NFL.
The strong belief locally is that the NFL is nearly demanding that the Rams be
moved to London in 2014, and they are anchoring this by scheduling the Rams
there against premier teams for the next 3 years.

(Steve Austin/246243) SFTD, but a couple of other NFL notes from today...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:20:00 -0600

SFTD, but a couple of other NFL notes from today...

The Steelers have announced that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has decided
to retire.  Arians has been the only OC during Mike Tomlin's 5 years as
Steelers' coach, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been very vocal in his
support of Arians.  Some have speculated that Roethlisberger was responsible
for Arians lasting through times during which the team and public had wanted to
be rid of him.

It will be very interesting to see who the Steelers hire and how much input
Roethlisberger has in the decision.  One potential name is current Broncos' OC
Mike McCoy.  Why?

From the "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" department...the Steelers today also
announced the signing of former Ravens (and Ohio State) quarterback Troy Smith.

Smith's background is in the spread offense...much like Tim Tebow, who defeated
the Steelers in the first round of this year's playoffs.  Coincidental
signing?  I don't think so.

Finally...

ESPN is reporting that the Miami Dolphins are set to hire their next head coach
-- current Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.  The interesting thing
about THIS hire is Philbin's current situation -- he's less than two weeks
removed from the disappearance (and death) of his son.

Lots of interesting angles to that story...both on and off the field.

(Steve Austin/246242) Falco> I'm not sure I get your question. Who is "they" in the ...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:12:00 -0600

Falco>  I'm not sure I get your question.  Who is "they" in the statement "when
they could throw a team like Seattle or Arizona in the London game"?

Presumably, the Rams are giving up a home date because the London game will be
more profitable for them.  Their stadium in St. Louis (while "relatively" new)
is one of the worst in the league, and the fan base in tepid, at best.

Why do you think there has been such concern over the Rams moving back to LA?

(Archmage/246241) Don't know but I am guessing they are getting more money in the ...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:21:00 -0600

Don't know but I am guessing they are getting more money in the New England
situation. I mean, they have people who get paid to make such decisions, so
from where I sit, I have to trust that.

(Falco/246240) Why would St. Louis give up a home gate against New England when...

Falco@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:30:00 -0600

Why would St. Louis give up a home gate against New England when they could
throw a team like Seattle or Arizona in the London game?

(Steppenwolf/246239) No more than people being from New York or New Hampshire, I'm su...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:32:00 -0600

No more than people being from New York or New Hampshire, I'm sure.

(Archmage/246238) Do people form London get incredibly confused about a team from ...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:29:00 -0600

Do people form London get incredibly confused about a team from "New England" ?

(Steve Austin/246237) Fans in St. Louis who were afraid that (relatively new) Rams' ow...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:17:00 -0600

Fans in St. Louis who were afraid that (relatively new) Rams' owner Stan
Kroenke would move the team back to Los Angeles can rest easy.  The team
doesn't appear to be destined for southern California.

Jolly old England, on the other hand...

The Rams have now committed to play one regular season game in London for each
of the next three years -- and they'll be the team to lose the home game in
each of those three years.

NFL brass, especially commissioner Roger Goodell, have spoken at length about
the league's desire to eventually have a team based in London.  With the Rams'
tenuous situation in St. Louis...this move could be the first step to making
that dream a reality.

In the 2012 season, the Rams' opponent in their London game will be the New
England Patriots.  The Patriots played in London (against Tampa Bay) during the
2009 season.

(MIKEY/246236) Russell Westbrook signs 5 year contract with the Thunder. Duran...

MIKEY@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0600

Russell Westbrook signs 5 year contract with the Thunder.  Durant and Westbrook
together for 5 years!!

(The Brahma Bull/246235) Spring Training hasn't even started yet and the Detroit Tigers a...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:33:00 -0600

Spring Training hasn't even started yet and the Detroit Tigers are already off
to a bad start. ESPN.COM is reporting that catcher Victor Martinez will likely
miss the entire season due to a left knee injury during off season
conditioning.

(Steve Austin/246234) The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Jim Caldwell. He i...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:15:00 -0600

The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Jim Caldwell.  He is the 7th NFL
coach to lose his job this season.

I take this as continued indication that Peyton Manning's time in Indianapolis
is finished, despite rumblings to the contrary from owner Jim Irsay.  I find it
difficult to believe that a questionably-healthy Manning would want to play in
a new system with new coaches...and I frankly doubt that the new coaches will
want the headache that Manning's lingering health issues will bring.

I would guess that if Jim Tressel is going to get any kind of shot, Indy would
be the place...so his name might crop up.  I'd imagine names like Brian Billick
will also surface.  I'd also look for hot coordinator names like Mike Zimmer.

I'd also be curious to see if Brad Chldress gets a look-see for one of the
coordinator positions, since (IIRC) the new GM has ties to Philadelphia (where
Childress used to be OC).

(Archmage/246233) I was going to say that is was probably a situation where trash ...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:31:00 -0600

I was going to say that is was probably a situation where trash talk went too
far and that led to someone else taking it WAY too far.

(Steve Austin/246232) Shit. I read about this Niners thing...it wasn't even in San Fr...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:25:00 -0600

Shit.  I read about this Niners thing...it wasn't even in San Francisco.  It
was in freaking Georgia of all places.  A couple of 49ers fans were yukking it
up with a Saints fan, and he took exception to the trash talk.

Nice.

(Shaitan/246231) Don't forget the shooting or stabbing or whatever it was between...

Shaitan@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:55:00 -0600

Don't forget the shooting or stabbing or whatever it was between Raiders and
Niners fans during the preseason this year...

(KAM/246230) Playa's gonna hate.

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:46:00 -0600


Playa's gonna hate.

(Steve Austin/246229) Really?

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:11:00 -0600

Really?

What the fuck do people have against fans of San Francisco sports teams?  First
it was the sack of crap Dodgers fan(s) who assaulted that Giants fan into a
coma...and now this?

(Gespalder/246228) Saints Fan Shoots Two 49ers Fans After Playoff Upset

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:27:00 -0600

Saints Fan Shoots Two 49ers Fans After Playoff Upset
From HuffingtonPost.com

Wow, talk about a sore loser!

(Mama K/246227) I added the Texans to my fanlist, since my kid brother works for...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:57:00 -0600

I added the Texans to my fanlist, since my kid brother works for them.
However, we're both still diehard Browns fans  =)

(The Brahma Bull/246226) at least the Rams have been to and won a Super Bowl, try living ...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:55:00 -0600

at least the Rams have been to and won a Super Bowl, try living in Ohio and
being a Browns fan. Why do you think i'm also a Dolphins fan....although here
lately that's almost as depressing lol

(Lochner/246225) We in St. Louis are thrilled to have Jeff, I can tell you that. ...

Lochner@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:23:00 -0600


We in St. Louis are thrilled to have Jeff, I can tell you that.  My office
overlooks the Edward Jones Dome, and it's been a sad, sad place.  It's kind of
a mediocre venue for football anyway....

(The Brahma Bull/246224) so Jeff Fisher is back in coaching after taking a year off, he's...

The Brahma Bull@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:20:00 -0600

so Jeff Fisher is back in coaching after taking a year off, he's decided to
take the head coaching position with St Louis over the same position with the
Miami Dolphins. 2 things about this (1)as a Dolphins fan, im a little bummed
and (2)I personally find it a little ironic/funny that Fisher's 2nd head
coaching job in the NFL is with the franchise that beat him in his only Super
Bowl appearance as a head coach.

(Archmage/246223) i don't belive the claims against Sanchez until a noanonymous er...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:07:00 -0600

i don't belive the claims against Sanchez until a noanonymous erson makes them
not to mention, non-anonymous teammates have refuted the claims.

(Calhoun/246222) KAM--Weren't there similar claims by teammates about Matt Leinar...

Calhoun@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:44:00 -0600

KAM--Weren't there similar claims by teammates about Matt Leinart at Arizona? 
If so, that's two big-time USC QBs who have/had questionable work ethics.

(Guardian Angel/246221) Yarp. That would be the best thing that he could do.

Guardian Angel@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:21:00 -0600

Yarp. That would be the best thing that he could do.

Assuming that the Colts don't cut Painter or Orvlovsky and have Peyton one on
one coach mr Andrew Luck.

(KAM/246220) I think if Manning stayed around to help Orvlovsky and Painter, ...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:19:00 -0600


I think if Manning stayed around to help Orvlovsky and Painter, that would be a
HUGE boon to the Colts and would keep Manning tied to the organization.

(Cyanide/246219) I think he -could- make a good coach, but it is hard to tell if ...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:03:00 -0600

I think he -could- make a good coach, but it is hard to tell if he can convey
the information he knows. Orvlovsky, would have been a great candidate for him
to help since he posed no real threat to Mannings career, and has all the
physical ability. And maybe Manning did, and that is why they actually won
a game, however, that was a bit late..

(Guardian Angel/246218) Yeah.

Guardian Angel@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:01:00 -0600

Yeah.
Honestly, I think if Peyton is smart, he calls it quits. He's a guaranteed fist
(first) ballot HoF, he's arguably the greatest QB of all time (and I HATE
giving him that credit), but continuing to play isn't worth risking paralysis.

It's not like he ever really HAS to work again, either.

(Cerebus/246217) Thats what coaching is for, but yes I think he would be a comple...

Cerebus@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:02:00 -0600

Thats what coaching is for, but yes I think he would be a complete idiot to
come back.

(Cyanide/246216) Im not sure he is coming back either. My sister just said, "He i...

Cyanide@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0600

Im not sure he is coming back either. My sister just said, "He isn't coming
back after an injury like that. He would be stupid too. He just isn't sure
what he is going to do with the rest of his life. Being a QB was his life."

(Harbinger/246215) Jim Irsay's statement leads me to believe that Peyton will retir...

Harbinger@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:52:00 -0600

Jim Irsay's statement leads me to believe that Peyton will retire.  The news on
Peyton's neck is still inconclusive (which is scary in and of itself).  Almost
like the Sid Crosby injury in the NHL.

(KAM/246214) Listening to Colin Cowherd this morning during the commute, appa...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:54:00 -0600


Listening to Colin Cowherd this morning during the commute, apparently Trent
Dilfer came on his show a few weeks ago and accused Mark Sanchez of being lazy
and undisciplined, not bonding with his teammates, and thus part of the reason
why the Jets failed as a team this year.

Apparently the press has now caught on to this, and have at least three
different Jets players anonymously confirming Dilfer's statements. They're also
making another suggestion - dump Sanchez and try to sign Peyton Manning so he
can take them to a Super Bowl.  Non-anonymous players Matt Slauson and Marcus
Dixon, however, disagree with their anonymous teammates and say that Sanchez is
the quarterback for this team, he is improving, and, "Whoever said all that,
they're out of their minds and just trippin'."

Cowherd blames these unruly anonymous players' behavior directly on Rex Ryan
for being an undisciplined loudmouth himself.

Speaking of the Colts, a few days ago Jim Irsay said that he'll be sitting down
with Peyton Manning in March, ahead of the scheduled payment of his contract
extension, to determine if he can play again. Irsay said that Manning is NOT up
for trade - either he's going to be playing for the Colts next year, or he
won't be playing at all.

Irsay also hired Philadelphia Eagle's Ryan Grigson as the new GM. Griston spent
the last two seasons as Director of Player Operations, and the previous four as
a scouting director.


Sunday may be a tough game for the Packers. The team's offensive coordinator
Jim Philbin went on an indefinite leave of absence on Wednesday following the
death of his 21 year-old son Michael. Michael was at a nearby college campus
visiting friends for the weekend, and made a phonecall around 2:10 AM on Sunday
morning. Around 20 minutes later a security guard called police after he heard
somebody shouting for help and seeing a person in the river. Police searched
early Sunday morning but found nothing, a fresh search was conducted on Monday
and Michael's body was found around 3:15 PM.

(Archmage/246213) If Pittsburge strategy was the load the box and force Tebow to b...

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:23:00 -0600

If Pittsburge strategy was the load the box and force Tebow to be precise
downfield, I am 100% behind that.

Howeve,r by the time OT rolled around they might hav ewanted to look at that
again.

In fact, I am probably still behind that idea. If you look at how Tebow beat so
many teams late in games, it was because the defenses backed up and gave tebow
room to operate with runs and short passes.

(Atreyu/246212) The new OT rules seem to be fine for the playoffs. It was reall...

Atreyu@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:40:00 -0600

The new OT rules seem to be fine for the playoffs.  It was really designed to
stop the recieving team from fielding the kickoff with a 10-15  yard return,
followed by 30 yards of play into a game winning field goal.  That is really
the unfair part, the fact that to win in OT  you generally only need 2-3 first
downs to be in winning position.
Now, the Denver game was funny because of a blown coverage play with Tebow
connecting for 80 yards.  That should never have happened and is ultimately a
bad play call on defense, as well as a blown assignemnt.  Pitsburgh gambled and
lost and gets to sit out the rest of the play offs.  But, it wasn't due to the
OT rules or changes that caused them to lose.

(Gespalder/246211) SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 1/10/2012

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:36:00 -0600

SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 1/10/2012

Report: Oakland Raiders have fired coach Hue Jackson

The Oakland Raiders have fired coach Hue Jackson, according to ESPN.

(King Action/246210) Pittsburgh Mayor Tebows:

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:17:00 -0600


Pittsburgh Mayor Tebows:

http://beta.local.yahoo.com/news-mayor-makes-good-bronco-bet-tebows

I can appreciate this... for several reasons ... but mainly for the good nature
of it all.

(King Action/246209) Both sides don't need to be guaranteed a possession - especially...

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:10:00 -0600


Both sides don't need to be guaranteed a possession - especially if we're
trying to eliminate play-causing injuries.

There's nothing unfair about this. As the kicking team, you have *two* chances
to stop them: on the kickoff and on defense. And, even then, you're protecting
against a TD instead of a 50+ yard FG.

We don't need to take "fairness" to such an extreme. We don't have those rules
during regular play. It's not like each team is guaranteed the same number of
plays or anything. If your defense stops the other team from scoring a TD, you
get another shot. If your team *can't* stop a TD, what makes you 'deserve'
another shot?

I was all for playing out an entire 5th quarter. However, I'm not the one
risking injury either. If we want a good mix of fairness and not-getting-
injured, a TD to end the game should suffice.

(Steve Austin/246208) Really, KA?

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:34:00 -0600

Really, KA?

SI's Peter King would prefer that both sides be guaranteed a possession in
overtime, regardless of what the first team does.  And I know he's not alone in
that opinion.

I also know that there are many who believe that the college OT rule should be
tweaked so that drives start further back...so that teams aren't essentially
guaranteed points.

I don't know about making the pro rules closer to the college rules...but I
don't see what's so unreasonable about guaranteeing each team a possession. 
What if Denver had scored on that play because Ike Taylor had crumpled to the
ground with an ACL injury?  Sometimes things happen.

As for changing the OT rules in the regular season...the coaches and players
don't want it.  It's the same thought process that keeps us from an 18-game
schedule.  Players simply don't want more plays...and changing the OT rules in
the regular season would mean more plays.

(King Action/246207) "A year ago, TMQ warned , "The new format does not guarantee eac...

King Action@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:47:00 -0600


"A year ago, TMQ warned , "The new format does not guarantee each team a chance
at the ball. If Team A receives the opening kickoff and scores a touchdown, the
game simply ends." Back to the drawing board for overtime formats, please. How
about alternating possessions beginning at the 50, and no kicking plays
allowed?"

How about *not*, Gregg Assterbrook?? The format is *fine* now. the only thing
that needs 'tweaking' is having the rules apply to the regular season as well.
Both teams do *not* need an opportunity at the ball if the first team scores a
TD. I mean, what the fuck, dude?

(KAM/246206) Yeah, I figure'd I'd leave the discussion there for the actual g...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:14:00 -0600


Yeah, I figure'd I'd leave the discussion there for the actual games. Mentions
of broken records seems more appropriate here. *shrugs*

(Steve Austin/246205) Not like anything else is being discussed here, but formally spe...

Steve Austin@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:07:00 -0600

Not like anything else is being discussed here, but formally speaking, playoff
talk goes to...

NFL Playoffs And Super Bowl>

(KAM/246204) Lion's Calvin Johnson sets a NFL record for most receiving yards...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:55:00 -0600


Lion's Calvin Johnson sets a NFL record for most receiving yards in post-season
debut with 199 yards, surpassing Baltimore Colt's Raymond Berry in a 1958
overtime game against the Giants.

(Archmage/246203) 11-5 year.. :-)

Archmage@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:53:00 -0600

11-5 year.. :-)

(Mama K/246202) And if you watch the replay of Arian Foster's 2nd TD of the game...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:42:00 -0600

And if you watch the replay of Arian Foster's 2nd TD of the game, when he hops
up on the wall into the fans, the skinny white guy offering him a hand down off
the wall (whose face can be seen in profile, goatee and glasses, brown hair),
is my little brother  =)

(KAM/246201) Arian Foster becomes the 3rd-ever undrafted player to gain 100+ ...

KAM@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:30:00 -0600


Arian Foster becomes the 3rd-ever undrafted player to gain 100+ yards rushing
in a playoff game as Houston is drubbing Cincinnati 31-10 with 3 mins left.